AUSTIN – V8 Supercars driver James Courtney gave the fans attending the MotoGP practice and qualifying sessions a thrill by participating in a special on-track demonstration Friday evening at the Circuit of the Americas.

Courtney drove a V8 Supercars Chevy SS with a special Circuit of the Americas “Austin 400” paint scheme around the 3.4-mile road course in southeast Austin.

The V8 Supercars will make their first-ever appearance at the Circuit for the “Austin 400” event on May 17-19.

Known as the ultimate “Aussie invasion,” the V8 Supercars of Ford, Holden, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG will contest four, 100-kilometer sprints with two races on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, preceded by a qualifying session each morning. Friday, May 17, features practice sessions and support race activities on track.

COTA officials said that three-day tickets for the V8 Supercars Austin 400 start at $69 and are available at http://circuitoftheamericas.com/v8-supercars/. Three-day reserved seats start at $83 per person. Children age 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.

Photo note: 2010 Champion James Courtney takes the first-ever official V8 Supercars™ lap on U.S. soil. – All photos by Keith Rizzo